Transitional car-coupler mechanism



Feb. 1 1922?.

P. KINNE TRANSITIONAL' CAR COUPLER MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1925 Feb. 1, 1927.-

E. P. KlNNE TRANSITIONAL CAR COUPLER MECHANISM Filed Aug. 29, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 W %M% I EfS F fIC E EDMUND 1?. 'KINNE, 'OIE ALLIANCE, =0HIO, ASSIGNGR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, "OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORZATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TRANSITIONAL CARCOUPL'ER JMECHANISM.

Application filed August 29, 1925. Serial No. 53,254.

This invention relates to railway cars, and more particularly to transitional coupler mechanism for railway cars.

It is common practice in many foreign countries to couple railway cars by means of at :fiexible :member and hooks, a hook being carried by each car and the-flexible memyherisenving to connect the two hooks. At each'sideiofthe carat the ends are provided buffers -or resiliently mounted plungers. In :some foreign countries steps are being taken toward the adoption of a standard coupler :such :as are used in the United States, but inasmuch as the transition from one type :toanother cannot be made simultaneously, means must be provided :for coupling cars with .the old (and new apparatus.

Accordingly, one object of the present inwenti-on is \to provide such means which may be readily applied to and withdrawn from standard couplers, and which is simple, durable, relatively inexpensive and \eficient in operation;

Another object is to provide transitional coupler mechanism in "which the main tran- .sitional part may be securely locked behind the coupler knuckle and which will have pautscooperating with said knuckle and the head to resist movements \of .said main ,part in various directions.

Another object is to provide as an article of mamtfactuie a transitional coupler part which is vsimple. and durable in construction and which cooperates with the .head and knuckle ioi the coupler in a manner to meet the various requirements under :actual service conditions. 7

These and other objects are accomplished Joy means of the varrangement disclosed on ,the accompanying sheets of drawings, in whioh- Figure l is a :fragmentary top plan view of the adjacent ends .of coupled railway cars, ione of said cars being equipped with the hook type of coupler and Etheother with :the automatic type of coupler embodying any improved transitional coupler mechanism;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the arrangecment shown in Figure [1;

Figure 3 is :a side elevation of the same parts shown in :Figure 2 but showing the v flexible connection between the :hook' and automatic coupler in a slackened condition;

Figure 4: is 'a side elevation of two automatic couplers in a coupled condition, each of said automatic couplers being provided with transitional coupler means hooked up and supported in an inoperative position.

Figure 5 is a top plan view, a part being in section, of the automatic coupler and the main transitional coupler member. showing a projection of the latter extending into a recess or pocket in the head of the coupler to prevent fulcruming of said member at the point of engagement between said member and the knuckle when said parts are under draft conditions;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the main transitional coupler part;

Figure 7 is a top plan view thereof; and

Figure 8 is a front elevation of same.

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following-description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures of the drawings, it will be noted that my invention is illustrated in connection with two railway cars 10 and 11, one'of which is equipped with an automatic coupler 12 including a head 13 and a knuckle 14 pivotally connected thereto by a pin 15, the other car being provided with a coupler in the form of a'hook 16.

As mentioned hereinabove, in the many countries foreign to the United States, railway cars have been provided with hooks such as the one shown at 16, and such hooks on adjacent ends of adjacent cars have been connected by various types of flexible connecting members such as chains or shackles. In the arrangement shown, a screw and shackle combinatlon is provided, the [screw being shown at 17 and the shackle members being shown at 18. A hand operated mem- -ber 19 has been provided in the foreign type of coupler connection for taking up the slack in the connection and for bringing the spring pressed buffers 20 .at the endsof the cars into engagement with each other.

The mechanism directly involved in convnection with my present invention includes a lever 21 which .in side elevation is somewhat in the form of the :letter J. The lower normally horizontal tail portion 22 of the 5 member 21 is pivotally connected by a pin .23 between two cars 2d located at the bottom and projecting downwardly from the head 13 of the coupler. The upright leg portion 25 of the member 21 has .a head with a diagonally forwardly extending projection 26 which is adapted to fit behind the rear face of the knuckle 1i and engage the latter when said knuckle is in its normally locked position. This member or lever 21 accordingly when locked behind the knuckle 1 1 is locked in position between the knuckle and the head 13. The lever 21 is provided with a pin 27 around which the shackle member 28 may be placed for forming with the screw 1'? and other shackle member 18 a double-jointed flexible connection between the automatic coupler 12 and the hook coupler 16. It will be appreciated that with the parts thus coupled together, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a draft connection is established between the two couplers which will function properly. In view of the fact that the point of engagement 29 between the projection 26 and the knuckle 1 1 is to one side or eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the coupler connection between the cars, under draft conditions there will be a tendency for the lever to fulcrum in a horizontal plane about the point 29 of engagement between said projection 26 and knuckle 14. This fulcruming action, however, is resisted and prevented by virtue of the fact that the head portion of the leg 25 of the lever 21 is provided with a rearwardly extending projection 30 which extends into a pocket 81 in the head of the coupler, a lateral face 32 of said projection 30 engaging a lateral face 33 of said pocket 31. Accordingly, when the transitional coupler mechanism is in its operative position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lever 21 is prevented from pivoting in a vertical plane by the knuckle 14: and is prevented from swinging laterally by the inter-engaging projection 30 and the coupler head 13.

When the transitional mechanism is not in use, it is supported by a hook 34 over which the proper shackle member 18 or 28 is placed, as best shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to use the transitional coupler mechanism, the shackle member is disengaged from the hook 234, the knuckle ll of the associated automatic coupler is swung into open position, and the lever 21 is swung upwardly about its pivot 23 until said lever occupies a vertical position, whereupon the knuckle 14 is moved into its normally locked position for locking the lever 21 in its operative position. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 3, it being understood that the buffers are compressed and the shackle member 18 is placed over the hook 16. When the buflers 20 are extended, the parts are arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the necessary slack taken up by an actuation of the member 19.

The top of the lever 21 is provided with retaining and strengthening housing portion 35, the pin 27 being located thereunder. As a matter of fact, the pin 27, forwardly extending projection 26 and rearwardly extending projection 30 are in the same horizontal plane. The member 21 as an article of manufacture is simple, durable and eflicient. The various parts and their cooperation in the transitional coupler mechanism are adapted to meet all of the requirements under actual service conditions.

It is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. Transitional coupling means for railway cars comprising in combination, a conpler having a head and a knuckle pivotally connected thereto, and a lever pivotally connected to the under side of said head and having a head adapted to be locked behind said knuckle, said lever head having attaching means for the flexible member of the opposing hook coupler, said lever head also having a projection extending into said coupler head to resist movement of said lever in a given direction under draft conditions.

2. Transitional coupling means for railway cars comprising in combination, a conpler having a head and a knuckle pivotally connected thereto, and a lever pivotally con nected to the under side of said head for movement in a vertical plane and having a head adapted to be locked against such vertical pivotal movement behind said knuckle, said lever head having attaching means for 1 the flexible member of the opposing hook coupler, said lever head also having a projection extending into said head to resist movement of said lever in a horizontal plane under draft conditions.

3. Transitional coupling means for railway cars comprising in combination, a coupler having a head and knuckle pivotally connected thereto, and a lever pivotally connected to the under side of said head and having a head adapted to be locked by and between said head and knuckle, said lever head having means whereby it may be connected to the flexible connecting member of the hook type of coupler and also having a portion extending into said coupler head to resist fulcruming of said lever about said knuckle under draft conditions, and means for taking up the slack occasioned by said flexible member.

4. As an article of manufacture, a lever to be connected to the head of a coupler for transitional coupling purposes, said lever comprising a leg and a head, the latter having a projection thereon to engage and be 125 locked behind the rear of the coupler knuckle and another projection for extending into said head to resist movement of said lever in a given direction.

5. As an article of manufacture. a lever to be connected to the head of a coupler for rection, one end of said lever extending at transitional coupling purposes, said lever right angles to said leg and forming the comprising a leg and head, the latter havpart which is adapted to be connected to the 20 ing oppositely extending projections, one to coupler head.

I be locked behind the coupler knuckle and Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 31st day the other for extending into said head to of July, 1925. resist movement of said lever in a given di- EDMUND P. KINNE. 

